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He lets out a soft moan into the gentle kiss, his rapidly softening anatomy slipping free of hers as he squeezes in next to her on the narrow couch cushion. The way she strokes his hair he could be out in seconds, but he fights it to stay present, knowing there's more than a few things they should probably talk about.

"So," he starts lamely, staring up at the ceiling fan, his free hand falling across his chest. "That was..." Is there even an adjective for it? It wasn't picturesque by a long shot, but it was theirs.

She gives a tiny noise when he slips out of her, shifting more onto her side when Tony crowds next to her on the couch that's only so wide. But they manage it, her hand brushing against his belly and settling there. Nice, and okay aren't really all that flattering as far as responses go, so she settles on:

"Yes. It was," she agrees with an edge of fond amusement to her tone, smiling and laying her head on his shoulder with a tiny sigh. It hadn't been amazing, but it was the start of them; that alone made it special. She closes her eyes for a moment, feeling pleasantly drowsy.

This is nice, like really nice. Maybe even better than their rushed and sloppy coupling moments earlier. Tony pushes copper hair out of his way so he can kiss her forehead before his arm slips down her back to hold her close and keep her on the sofa.

"Is it nap time?" he asks, already sounding a bit far away, eyes shut tight. His head is still faintly pounding and he has to believe sleeping will fix it even if he knows it probably won't. At least it'll be a good sleep with Pepper this close. "...I love you," he murmurs, getting used to the way the words sound rolling off his tongue. It immediately makes him giddy and he slings his other arm around her in a tight, if a bit sweaty, hug.

"Mmm," she hums, in pleasure and agreement both as she closes her eyes and enjoys his closeness. "Yeah."

Pepper already sounds close to sleep as well, cuddling a little closer still when he hugs her against him though they're already flush with one another on the couch, nodding off easily despite some rational corner of her head saying they should have probably cleaned off first.

She doesn't know how long they sleep, but she eventually comes around groggily, still half-asleep; also sore, sticky and freezing cold, shivering. Her toes are numb. "...Tony?"

Her voice startles him awake, though he can't fully identify her in the last moments of sleep and it makes him thrash briefly before the moment catches up to him. The fear drains from his face, but he gives a slight shiver as he realizes the predicament they're in.

"...Hey," he issues super belatedly, sitting up and blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Ugh," she mutters, not at him but at her general state of being right there; cold and sticky. That needs to be remedied pretty immediately, not that she's starting to actually wake up.

"I'm gonna go take a shower. You can come with me, if you wanna," she adds as she gets up from the couch, already beelining toward the bathroom, albeit not without a glance over her shoulder back at him, a smile curving at her lips.

Tony snorts at her evaluation, hopping up a second later once he realizes her game. "Hey! Wait up." He actually jogs to catch up to her, ignoring how his still persistent headache protests, and taps his hip against hers playfully. "Not cool."

"You snooze, you lose," she laughs as she steps through into the bathroom first, wasting little time turning on the shower so the water heats up as soon as possible. "Does your head still hurt?"

She hadn't missed the tightness around his eyes that spelled pain, trying to tamp down on the curling frisson of concern attempting to take root.

The question is met with confusion, wondering how she could possibly know. He'd been trying hard not to give anything away, but apparently he had anyway.

"It's nothing," he dismisses, though her calling attention to it makes it hurt more somehow and he has to rub at his temple to abate the pressure some.

"It's not nothing. Hop in," she prompts him in her no-nonsense manner once the water finally runs hot, herding him under the spray. She grabs the shampoo and squirts some on her palm before replacing the bottle, starting to wash his hair without asking if it's okay-- though the washing is actually a byproduct, here. She works up enough lather to allow her fingers to slide smoothly along his scalp before concentrating on specifics; fanning her fingers along the sides of his skull and rubbing her thumbs in circles over his temples, gently but firmly enough to smooth away the ache. Hopefully. "How's that?"

How could he say no to that? Not like she gives him a choice. Tony opens his mouth to protest again, but then her fingers are sliding against his scalp just the right way and a low groan leaves his lips instead. It's probably the best feeling he's ever had from someone touching him alone and all he can really do is close his eyes and hang his head in her hands to enjoy the treatment. "Please... don't ever stop doing that."

Pepper chuckles fondly, doing as she's told and continuing to rub circles against his temples, satisfied when the tension about his shoulders seems to ease some, the way he leans into her touch like a cat begging to be stroked. She's happy if this is making him feel better even marginally. "Is it helping any with the pain?"

"Uh... yeah," he says distractedly, but he doesn't sound convinced. The pressure is still building at his temples in a way he knows will spread again the second she stops touching him. Still, Tony can't find it in himself to complain when she's trying to help. "Thank you." It's whispered as a hand wraps comfortably around her waist and his eyes shut, content to just stay here under the showerhead with her as long as she wants to.

"Mm. So, that's a no," she counters softly with a tiny smile, but she doesn't stop her ministrations, as if she can banish Tony's discomfort by sheer willpower alone. "I'll get you some ice and an ibuprofen when we get out of here, okay?"

She's determined to try anything and everything, even if she is content to stay under the spray with him for a while longer. Leaning in, she presses her lips softly to his, an affectionate touch that lingers for longer than strictly necessary.

He stays silent, but it's answer enough that she's right. "Yes, dear," he agrees blandly, like he might any other day, but there's an underlying meaning to the words that's never been there before. Tony lets out a little rumble in approval for the kiss, pressing into the gentle touch without hesitation. "You take such good care of me, what would I do without you?"

"It's probably for the best not to speculate on that," she responds with a touch of her usual wry wit, though she doesn't fail to note the small difference in his glib agreement. The shampoo she'd rubbed into his hair is completely gone by now, and she combs her fingers through his hair now, slicking it back. "Ready?" To get out, she means.

Edited 2019-09-17 19:45 (UTC)

His eyes slowly blink open, then blink a few more times to clear the water. He leans into her and shakes his head.

"What about you?" he asks, wanting to do something for her while they're here. Though he's worried about messing up her hair somehow so instead he picks up a loofa, raising his brows while he slowly loads some soap on and presses just about as close as he can and reaches his arms around her, working the scratchy sponge over her back where he knows it feels nicest in his experience.

"I--" she begins a little uncertainly, but then Tony brings out the loofa and her words falter. Her eyelids flutter indicatively when he rubs the sponge over her skin, a tiny hum of pleasure escaping her. "Oh... that's nice," she sighs, her hands settling on his shoulders and eyes closing all the way.

Tony grins as bliss takes her over, enjoying the way their bodies press even as he tries to keep from becoming outwardly interested.

"Quid pro quo," he jokes, though he really did want to return the favor. She's always done so much for him, more than he feels he can ever repay.

"Hmmm," she huffs in a sigh of agreement, her head going a little fuzzy at how lovely it feels to be cared for like this. "No arguments here." There's a smile on her lips and tone both, her hands slipping along his slick skin and winding up at the nape on his neck, cracking her eyes open a fraction as her fingertips delve softly into the short hairs there.

His breathing quickens at the slide against his scalp, eyes lidding as he presses even closer, the faint stirring of interest brushing against her hip despite his best efforts.

"Sorry," he says automatically, so used to hiding any feelings for her beyond friendship that he slowly starts unwinding himself from her embrace. Everything is still so mixed up in his head and he has to take a minute as another bright burst of light explodes behind his eyes. "I... You wanted to get out?"

Pepper is hardly sorry when he brushes up against her hip. If anything, she might be tempted to try again after their first time was rather short-lived and rushed, but temptation is quickly replaced with concern when he begins pulling away.

"Don't be," she dismisses, a tiny frown on her face as she brushes a gentle hand over the side of his head, stroking his sodden hair. It seems like what little good her massage had done a while ago is good for nothing now, judging by the returned tightness around his eyes. "Yeah. Let's go." The sooner they do, the sooner she can get him that ice.

Tony obeys her, going quiet as he climbs out of the shower, going briefly blind as the white light grows in intensity. He hears the water turn off and feels the soft towel she envelops him in, but all of that is far away compared to the searing heat between his eyes.

"S-sorry, just. Give me a minute?" He staggers away from her towards the sink, blinking until he can blearily make out his own reflection. He's never felt so helpless before and it's hard to admit he needs help on a good day, let alone now.

If Pepper was concerned before, her worry is going off the charts now. And yet through that worry runs a parallel thread of minute annoyance and steely determination. She's officially had enough of Tony trying to brush this off, and it's evident in her brisk tone. Quickly, she runs a towel over herself and dries off the worst before throwing on a robe.

"Okay, come on. We're getting you out of here. You're going to lay down-- somewhere dark." This looks like a full-brown migraine now, and exposure to light probably isn't helping matters any. "I'm getting you ice and some meds. And I don't want to hear a single I'm fine from you."

She's already getting him his own robe, setting it over his shoulders as he hunches over the sink.

"Sorry, sorry," he mutters, head in his hand as he leans back to accept her offer of the robe against his goose-pimpled skin. Tony manages to grab onto it one-handed before it slips back off, loosely securing the tie at his waist. "I'm not..." Fine, obviously, but he just sighs, splashing some water on his face before cracking an eye open to locate her and reach out for her arm.

"Yes, ma'am," makes it past his lips, ready and willing to follow her instructions, finally.

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